


Checking In

by Raine_Wynd



Series: Without Love [3]
Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: F/M, Family, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 05:46:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21248423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raine_Wynd/pseuds/Raine_Wynd
Summary: One of two interludes in the Without Love series - Connor checks in on his cousin and meets his new girlfriend.





	Checking In

#### Sunday, July 29, 2020

Immortal presence, stronger than most, filled Duncan’s senses, waking him from his comfortable slumber. His abrupt jerk woke Vanessa, whom he had been holding.

“What is it?” she asked, noting how he sat up and reached for his sword.

His phone buzzed with an incoming text. _I hope you made breakfast._

Duncan groaned. Even without the caller ID, he knew his cousin had arrived, and he should have expected it, given he had promised to call him, introduce him to Vanessa, and had failed to do so for weeks in a row.

“My cousin is here,” Duncan told his girlfriend now. He set his sword down, left the bed, and hurriedly dressed. “He’s about a half mile away, which means we have about a minute to get ready for him.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened and she glanced down at her naked body. “He won’t come in without knocking, will he?”

“No.” Duncan kissed her. “I’ll let him in and stall him, but please get dressed.”

Nodding in understanding, Vanessa rose. “I should shower; my hair is a mess.” She didn’t wait for Duncan’s reply, and hurried to the connecting bathroom.

Duncan bit back the instinctive objection he thought her long, wavy, dark brunette hair was not the mess she thought it was and she was beautiful. An ex-boyfriend’s stalking had shaken Vanessa’s self-confidence; she was still recovering. Instead, Duncan took a moment to appreciate the sight of his girlfriend, naked, before taking his sword and walking downstairs. Duncan spent a moment tucking his sword into the lightweight jacket he used for running, then put on his shoes, and went to find his cousin.

He found the older immortal standing at the base of the broken staircase at the front of the building, a faint smirk on his face. “You don’t want visitors?” Connor asked.

“Not really, no,” Duncan replied.

Connor chuckled, his laugh a familiar staccato. “Good. You’re finally learning.”

Duncan snorted and hugged his cousin, a hug Connor returned enthusiastically.

“What brings you here?”

“You didn’t call me,” Connor said mildly. “Richie said you’d had a problem with a stalker.”

“That was three weeks ago,” Duncan protested.

Connor favored him with a look that said he knew Duncan was stalling, and that he had gotten the story of the stalker from Richie. “Then introduce me to your girlfriend. She’s had enough time to get ready.”

“You woke us.”

Connor gave him a look that said he didn’t buy that excuse.

Aware that Connor would push him until he got his way or a reasonable explanation as to why Duncan didn’t want to introduce him to Vanessa, Duncan led the way to the back door and into the apartment. To his relief, Vanessa was waiting for them.

Vanessa wore jeans and a green tunic top with a lace detail at the collar. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. She stood in the living room, her hands betraying her nervousness.

Duncan watched as she took in Connor’s appearance. Like most, she did not expect the brown-haired Caucasian man, who looked like he was in his twenties, to be Duncan’s cousin, given Duncan’s more olive-toned skin, black hair, and broader frame. Connor wore a hip-length leather coat, a blue-pinstriped button-down shirt, jeans, and sneakers. At five-feet-nine-inches, Connor was shorter than Duncan’s six feet. In a fight, Connor used his leaner build and quick reflexes for a brutal demonstration of speed and agility.

Duncan made the introductions. “Connor, this is Vanessa Guajardo Zepeda, my girlfriend. She’s an UAV operator for a private firm here in the city. Vanessa, this is my cousin, Connor MacLeod.”

Connor and Vanessa shook hands. “Pleased to meet you,” Vanessa said. “You’re not who I pictured when I imagined his cousin.”

Connor chuckled. “No one does. You’re more beautiful in person than in the photos Richie sent me.” He teased Duncan, “You weren’t so forthcoming. Afraid I’d steal her away?”

Vanessa’s eyes widened and she looked at Duncan.

“No,” Duncan shot back. “Just not as photo-obsessed as Richie is.”

Connor chuckled.

“You asked Richie about me?” Vanessa asked.

Connor shrugged. “He volunteered the information.” _Unlike Duncan_, his tone implied.

“You’re also nosy and prone to meddling,” Duncan countered.

Connor lifted his hands, unrepentant. “How else am I to make sure you’re doing well?”

Duncan shook his head. “Ignore him, darling; he thinks he can pull the ‘older and wiser’ card on me too much.” Determined to derail the conversation before Connor turn it into an argument, Duncan asked, “Shall we move this to the kitchen so I can make breakfast?”

Connor took the cue. After helping himself to coffee and pouring Vanessa a cup, Connor took a seat at the breakfast bar while Duncan prepared scrambled eggs with cheese, spinach, and tomatoes, and hash browns.

“What brings you here?” Vanessa asked Connor.

“I wanted to meet you,” Connor told her. At her look of surprise, he explained, “Richie told me what happened with your ex-boyfriend. I thought you might appreciate talking without the barrier of a video call. Someone my wife once trusted stalked her. Brenda thought if she ignored the calls, he would stop. He wasn’t one of us, so we had to go through the police. I testified at his parole hearing I thought he was dangerous. They released him anyway. He stalked her again; we had him arrested for breaking parole. He’ll be out again in a few years.” Connor paused. “Brenda wishes I could handle him, but that’s not a line I want to cross.”

Vanessa stared at him, then looked at Duncan. When he didn’t seem surprised by Connor’s words, she said haltingly, “I don’t know what to say or think.” She searched Connor’s face. “Where is your wife?”

“In the car. She thought it best if I came first, so you wouldn’t be overwhelmed more than you are now,” Connor replied.

“I’d like to meet her,” Vanessa murmured. “How long have you been married?”

“Thirty-four years,” Connor replied proudly. “She was a forensic specialist with the NYPD when we met in 1985.”

Vanessa blinked, surprised and awed. “Congratulations.”

Connor grinned and acknowledged her appreciation with a nod. He quickly texted his wife, who soon rang the back doorbell. Wanting to meet her without the distraction of Connor and Duncan, who were quibbling over the proper way to scramble an egg and teasing each other over who was the better cook, Vanessa volunteered to let her in, since Duncan had given her the elevator key.

Brenda turned out to be a woman the same height as Vanessa. Her blonde hair had brown highlights. She had a heart-shaped face, deep-set brown eyes, a prominent nose, and a wide smile, and lines and wrinkles that betrayed her age. She wore jeans, a floral-print top, and sandals, and carried a small leather purse. She had a slender body frame and build, which gave her a delicate quality that seemed at odds with the confidence she exuded. Seeing Vanessa, she smiled warmly.

“You must be Vanessa,” she greeted. “I’m Brenda Wyatt MacLeod, Connor’s wife. Have they reached the squabbling stage yet?”

“I thought I’d come down and get you in case they did; I didn’t want to watch.” Brenda’s words eased Vanessa’s fears. “I take it this happens often?”

Brenda grinned. “All the time.”

“Do they ever get into a real argument?”

“Not over how to cook breakfast,” Brenda said, amused, as Vanessa led the way into the building. “They like to tease other, and Connor can get under Duncan’s skin like no one else. I used to worry until I realized that Connor has a tough time articulating how much he feels about, well, everything.” Amusement and fond exasperation laced Brenda’s tone. “Duncan forgets that sometimes and expects Connor to tell him.”

“Ah,” Vanessa said as comprehension dawned. She used the elevator key to unlock the elevator and led the way inside before pressing the button for the second floor. “So I shouldn’t fret?”

“No. Connor says more with a look than words more often than not. It’s when he stops talking and looks like he’s trying to hold in everything that I worry. Did either of them mention we’ll be staying with Duncan this week while we visit?”

“No. Should we get your bags?”

Brenda shook her head. “Breakfast first, else they’ll likely burn it. Are you living with Duncan?”

“Not yet,” Vanessa admitted.

“Have you and Mac been together long?”

“Since April of this year,” Vanessa clarified.

Brenda smiled and patted Vanessa’s arm. “I told Connor why Mac wasn’t calling as much. He didn’t believe me until Richie sent your picture to us.”

When the women stepped onto the first floor, they found the dining room table had been set for four, and that Connor had insisted on adding toast, jelly, and chopped fruit to the scrambled eggs and hash browns Duncan had prepared. Brenda exchanged hugs with Duncan and kissed her husband before she sat down.

To Vanessa’s relief, Brenda kept the conversation away from heavy topics, focusing instead on asking questions about Vanessa’s work, her living situation, and her taste in art and music. By the end of breakfast, Vanessa understood that Brenda was articulate, knowledgeable, and vibrant, and while Connor loved her, Duncan adored and respected her. It made Vanessa wonder if she could achieve that level of respect with Connor and Brenda.

Vanessa was surprised when, after unpacking their bags, Brenda shooed Connor and Duncan away from the apartment. “I want to talk to Vanessa without you two hovering. Go work out, go to church, and lock us in. Call Richie to join you; tell him I want to see him and his partners for dinner.”

Connor grinned and kissed Brenda. “Aye, lass. We’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Not before afternoon mass is over, and you’ll treat us to a nice dinner,” Brenda clarified firmly. “Not cheap teriyaki.”

“I’ll make sure of it,” Duncan promised her. To Vanessa, he said, “Call me if you need me,” and kissed her.

Once they had left, Vanessa turned to Brenda. “Why didn’t you want them here?”

“Because they don’t spar enough or go to church together, and both matter to them more than they’re willing to admit. They don’t need to hear what you and I will discuss. You already know about immortals. I’m here so you can ask me what it’s like to love one for decades.”

Vanessa sat down on the couch, surprised. Brenda took the seat opposite her in the side chair.

“What’s the hardest part?” she asked finally.

“The secrecy,” Brenda admitted. “A few trusted friends know Connor is immortal, but several of those friends have died, so the number of people who aren’t immortal I can talk to about how exasperating Connor is, how annoying it is to have people tell me I’m a cougar for dating a ‘younger’ man, how my health isn’t what twenty years ago is limited.” Brenda paused. “One of the hardest was when Rachel, Connor’s daughter, died a few years ago. She and I were so close, and she knew how to interpret every look, everything he didn’t say. I miss her terribly.”

“How did she die?”

“Heart attack,” Brenda said, sighing. “She told me she wasn’t feeling well, and next thing I knew, she had collapsed. I tried CPR, but the doctors couldn’t revive her either. She was eighty years old. When she was seven, Connor and Duncan found her hiding out from the Nazis and rescued her, despite dying in the process.” Brenda shook her head. “She tried to convince me I was a fool for loving Connor. I spent three months convinced I’d never win her over.”

“Did you?” Vanessa asked, curious.

“I woke up one morning to raised voices,” Brenda admitted. “She was yelling at Connor for being wrong about the Kurgan, that the Prize he had won was not the end of all immortals, that Duncan’s call meant the Game was still on, and that if he loved and respected me, he’d marry me.” Brenda shook her head. “Rachel threatened to tell Duncan his cousin had wronged me, which would have forced them to duel over my honor. I didn’t think she cared that much.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened. “What would happen if Duncan won?”

Brenda favored her with a smile. “Nothing since Duncan refuses to fight his cousin in a real duel, but Rachel asking Duncan for that favor would have brought all his concern and attention to Connor. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Duncan doesn’t want Connor’s exclusive focus on him. The same goes in reverse.”

“How come?”

“Because they are honest with each other, almost to a fault,” Brenda explained gently. “And Connor always takes these visits as opportunities to refine Duncan’s skills. Duncan knows if he has to pay the favor back, it usually means Connor’s being an idiot about something obvious.”

Vanessa sat back in her seat, astonished. “You didn’t mind Rachel’s interference?”

Brenda shrugged. “I would have asked Connor to marry me eventually,” she pointed out. “I was intimidated by his history, especially his devotion to his first wife, Heather. He still lights candles on her birthday, and it’s been over four centuries since she died. But I take comfort in knowing he was with her until her death of old age in 1590.”

“Did you ever meet Tessa?”

Brenda shook her head. “Not in person, but we talked on the phone several times. She’d get so excited sometimes she’d lose her English and I’d have to ask her to slow down, since my French isn’t that great.” Brenda studied Vanessa a moment. “You have nothing to worry about, Vanessa. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the MacLeods love with everything they have. They’ll kill to protect you, even if means their death.”

Uncomfortable with that declaration, Vanessa rose and paced away from the couch, arms crossed, before turning to face the older woman. “How do you deal with Connor coming home from a duel?”

“I take him in my arms and kiss him like the only thing that matters is my love for him,” Brenda said calmly. “Because in that moment, it is the only thing does.”

“And after that?”

“After that, we talk about everything that isn’t the fight,” Brenda replied. “I don’t want to know the details of the fight. I don’t need or want a recap. Sometimes I’ve had no choice in knowing the details, because it happened in front of me, and then I need to make sure I talk about it, so he knows how I’m handling what happened. But for the most part - if Connor wants someone to talk to about that shit, he has Duncan and Richie, and a few other friends if he doesn’t want to burden them. My job as Connor’s wife is to make sure home is where he wants to go when it’s over.”

“And you don’t…” Vanessa swallowed hard. “You don’t think what they’re doing is wrong?”

“Do you think your ex-boyfriend should still be alive?” Brenda countered.

“No.” Vanessa took a deep breath and sat down, leaning towards Brenda as she spoke. “I don’t feel guilty about it. I keep thinking I should.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not supposed to wish someone dead!” Vanessa burst out. “But he stole from me and he took me to strip clubs when I didn’t want to go, hoping I’d somehow get turned on by the experience. I knew if I stayed, he’d do something worse.”

“Then good riddance,” Brenda said calmly. “Vanessa, ‘supposed to’ is a loaded phrase. If Scott was alive, then you’d have to deal with the same shit I’ve had to deal with for the last fifteen years, which someone cunning enough to fool the criminal justice system into thinking he’s reformed. He’s not. He won’t ever be. I have a restraining order on him in six states and in Scotland, because he’s even traveled to Scotland to come after me.”

Vanessa stared at Brenda, hearing the venom in her voice. “What will you do when he gets out again?”

Brenda sighed. “I don’t know. I keep hoping he’ll get shanked and die in prison, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

“I’m sorry.”

Brenda shook her head. “Don’t be. I’ve been through worse, trust me. Do you feel safe with Duncan?”

“Yes. More so than in my friend’s townhouse, which is where I’m living. Lily wants her space back at some point, I’m sure. Lily and I are best friends.”

“Does she know about immortals?”

Vanessa nodded. “Richie and Duncan told her when they told me. They were sure she’d get super excited about it, and they knew I would need her to talk to.”

“Is she excited?”

Vanessa drew a breath. “Yes. Sometimes I look at her and think she should be the one who’s in love with an immortal, not me.”

“Because she’d tolerate it better?” Brenda’s voice held no judgement.

“Maybe. I don’t know. It’s still a little messed up in my head and it’s been almost a month.”

“Do you think there’s some timeline for accepting it?”

“Shouldn’t there be?” Vanessa shot back. “I mean – Lily’s okay with it. So are Delara and Patrick.”

“Delara and Patrick also have called me, together, and separately, to help them,” Brenda pointed out gently. “They didn’t know how to handle Richie’s occasional nightmares about what he’s lived through and didn’t want to worry Mac with their concerns. You won’t be alone, Vanessa, and you aren’t expected to suck it up, either. You have agency here. If you think you can’t be with Duncan, if the thought of being without his love and his care is less important than living a life where you never knowingly interact with another immortal again – then go, live that life. I’m just here to advocate for what you want. If you need me to run interference, be a supportive listener, be someone who suggests solutions – I’ll give you my number and you can text me anytime.”

Vanessa stared at her before she closed her eyes briefly. “My mother had PTSD. I learned not to talk about my problems with other people for fear of upsetting her.”

“Do you see Duncan’s immortality as a problem?”

“How bad is it?”

“Some months and some years are awful,” Brenda said bluntly. “It’ll feel like you’re under siege from some evil force hell-bent on killing the man you love and all his friends. Others, it’s like any other relationship, where your work sucks, your health isn’t great, your friends are having drama, and all you want to do is crawl under the covers and hide for a while without having to talk to anyone. But then you have someone who’ll hand you tea laced with Scottish whisky while you’re having a bubble bath and ask you if you need more hot water.”

Vanessa half-laughed at the image Brenda painted. “I’ve never had anyone do that for me.”

“Duncan will; Connor taught him to. This love –” Brenda paused to slowly shake her head. “It’s only as difficult as you make it. What do you want from a man?”

“For him to love, respect, and care for me,” Vanessa said. “I want to be supported in my career. I want him to care for and like my best friend, Lily, and not win her over because he’s charming. I want her to be convinced he’s the right guy for me without needing a whole lot of proof.”

“Is she?”

“Yes.” Vanessa took a deep breath. “Before I left for work on Friday, with a bag packed for this weekend, Lily told me she wished she had a woman like Duncan in her life, so she could stop meeting all the assholes who promised the moon and then didn’t deliver. Then she laughed and said it would have to be someone immortal, so she could surprise them with knowing about immortals before they told her. She’s always been the one person in my life I could count on to be pragmatic, paranoid, and utterly convinced the paranormal existed.”

Brenda chuckled. “She sounds like an interesting person. Does her valuation add weight?”

“It does, but I sometimes doubt everything,” Vanessa admitted. “And Richie comes across as being thrilled to be immortal and enjoying life. I can’t match his exuberance. But I watch him with Delara and Patrick; I see how they calm him and give him what he needs.”

Brenda’s smile widened. “Richie has largely been exuberant about immortality,” she agreed. “He’s also more of an optimist than most people, especially given his rough childhood. I adore him, and I love that he’s finally found what works for him. He struggled with coming out to Duncan, even though I assured him Duncan would be fine with it. It was easier to tell us first.”

“How come?” Vanessa wondered.

Brenda shrugged. “Connor and Richie have a different relationship, less of a father-son one. Richie spent six months with us, trying to figure himself out after a bad Quickening.”

“There are bad Quickenings?”

“Some linger for days,” Brenda noted carefully. “Most are processed within a few hours. Richie had one that scared him, so he turned to Connor for help and guidance.” Brenda paused. “Connor is stronger than Duncan. He’s taken more heads and more powerful Quickenings, and he’s widely acknowledged as the winner of the last mini-Gathering. I don’t say that to brag, but to give you some perspective.”

Vanessa absorbed that information quietly. “So when Connor kicks Duncan’s ass for things, it’s from a place of knowledge and experience. And Duncan doesn’t always like feeling like he’s back in school.”

Brenda nodded. “The relationship between them is more like brothers than cousins. Richie teases Connor by calling him ‘uncle,’ but Richie’s more like a son to both. He’s learned from both. Had Duncan told Connor he couldn’t take in Richie, Connor would have sent Richie to me, with instructions to make sure he didn’t run off before Connor came home. It makes things complicated.”

“That explains why Richie told him about me.” Vanessa drew in a breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever been around that many men who care that deeply about what happens to me.” She drew in another breath and let it out slowly. “And I can’t imagine ever living without it.”

Pleased by that, Brenda said briskly, “If you ever get to a point where the MacLeod stubbornness is too much, let me know and I’ll happily come get you.”

“Even from New York?”

“Even then,” Brenda assured her. “Now, we have an afternoon to ourselves. We should go shopping and treat ourselves to some spa time. What do you say?”

Vanessa smiled. “I’d like that. Where do you want to go?”

**Author's Note:**

> Leaving this end here because I don't know where else to take it. Please let me know what you think! :-)


End file.
